I finally got to see The Force Awakens for the second time the other night. When I wrote my opening night review I mentioned that I’d post another review after I’d seen the film again that would be spoiler filled. Here it is.
SPOILER ALERT: This review will talk openly about plot points of the film. If you want to experience the film as it was intended please watch it before reading this review.
I’ve heard the complaints about how this is nothing more than a retelling of A New Hope. I’ve heard about how Kylo Ren is a bad antagonist. I’ve heard about how Rey is too powerful a character. I’ve heard about how Han Solo didn’t get the death he deserved. They’re wrong.
The movie gets better. Like… so much better upon repeat viewings.
I sat in an absolutely empty theater and had what boiled down to a private screening. Just me and Episode 7. And it was glorious. I was able to see and hear things that I didn’t pick up on during my opening night viewing.
Yes, The Force Awakens follows the same general arch of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi. Hell, they even call it out right on screen! But then again, there are only seven basic plots in all of literature.
This did exactly what it needed to do. It transitioned from the old Star Wars Universe and characters to the new all while essentially ignoring the prequels which damn near killed Star Wars. I’ve lost a lot of respect for George Lucas over the years and will most likely continue to lose respect for him the more interviews I see him give and if I go back to those prequels. Luckily it looks like Star Wars is back on track after Episode 7.
Let’s talk about Han Solo for a moment. And I’ll apologize in advance because I’m going to get bit fired up. I’ve heard a lot of discussion about how he “deserved” a better death or to go out in a blaze of glory. That’s bullshit. Think about it for a moment. What’s more powerful than a father trying to save his son? I can only assume that the folks bitching about how Han Solo dies aren’t parents cause they’re dead fucking wrong about this one.
As for Rey. Sure she’s good at stuff. She’s a strong character from the moment we meet her and she gets stronger throughout the film. I’m going under the assumption that she’s either Luke’s daughter or perhaps of Kenobi lineage. I took all of her “abilities” to be extensions of The Force. Extensions that she didn’t even know she was capable of. If you’re going to complain about the Rey character you’re just looking to nit pick a great flick. There are other things to complain about, but Rey shouldn’t be one of them.
Are there too many callbacks to the previous films? Possibly. Does Kylo Ren throw tempter tantrums like a little bitch? Absolutely. And you know what? It makes him an outstanding character. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say Kylo in his first appearance is FAR superior to Vader in his first appearance. And before you jump down my throat, go back and watch A New Hope and look specifically at Vader’s scenes.
Did this look more like a JJ Abrams film than it did a Star Wars film? Maybe. But honestly I think THIS is what Star Wars films are going to look like moving forward. And this mega fan couldn’t be happier.
Oh yeah… Daisey Ridley is hot. And gets hotter throughout the film 🙂
In case you haven’t picked up on it, I think The Force Awakens is great. I’m certainly biased as I’m a life long fan of the franchise, but I give this one a strong recommend. I can’t wait for the Blu-Ray.
